Have you ever realized how dependent we are on technology and being connected? I have now within the last three (3) weeks had panic attacks because I could not connect.
The first instance was while I was at the VCI-Group conference in New Orleans the middle of this month. During the conference I am most reliant on my Blackberry keeping me informed of what is going on at work and what I need to respond to right away. I generally only connect to my laptop for about an hour in the evening between the end of the conference and the start of the evening’s activities.
Wouldn’t you know that during that time RIM had a major melt down!!! There I was for hours not knowing if I needed to respond to an issue at work or even worse; my cousin who the previous week had been hospitalized for an infection and this was my quick way to communicate with my family throughout the day.
Also, I didn’t realize it at the time that it was a RIM problem – I am thinking that my Blackberry is on the “fritz”; that the Health system email application was working erratically; but, not RIM. When I went to my room that evening and logged on to my email there was a notification from the Health System that RIM was having global problems and that it was not known when they would be back on line. Thankfully, all was fine at the office and my cousin was getting better every day although staying in the hospital longer than expected.
This made me realize that I carry my Blackberry as if it were attached to my hip. It is the first thing I look at each morning and the last thing I look at each evening. I guess I am a “crackberry”; if I miss the football scores I use the web functionality to go to nfl.com for the scores; I have both my work and personal emails on it, my calendar is up to date on it and sounds to let me know of an appointment; and, now that my text feature is “on” it is most often the way my niece and I communicate with each other. Also, it is my watch to let me know what time it is or how long it has taken me to run an errand or two.
How did I handle life before this?
That was my first crisis. This past Monday when I arrived home from work I turned on my personal computer and plugged in my work computer – to my chagrin neither of them was picking up my router and IP address. Although I am in technology I am not a technologist and I can get flustered with my computer.
I do the normal things – let’s try to disconnect and connect to my wireless account. I can’t find it!! Why isn’t it there??!? I go through network and settings – there it is – let’s connect and it does. YEAH!! NO, NO, NO – it disconnects and again cannot find the IP address. Then it finds it connects and then disconnects – this goes on and on and on. Alright, think Toni, think. Let’s go ahead and reset the router – maybe it just lost connectivity, perhaps there was a slight electrical burst – who knows. Okay no luck. Well at this point I just give up – I have done everything I needed to do off my Blackberry.
On Tuesday I worked late and did not get home until after 7PM. I went ahead and turned on my personal laptop to see if maybe miraculously everything set itself properly while I was gone. I am thinking the technology leprechauns were finished playing their tricks on me. No such luck – I now realize I have a problem and I need to do something about it since I am working from home on Wednesday and I cannot continue this way.
I am very fortunate that one (1) mile from my home is a Best Buy and a counter with the Geek Squad. They have worked on things in my home before when I needed them. I stopped by as soon as the store opened at 10AM; I was originally told that I probably could not have anyone fix my issue that day because they were in the Bronx; but, that they would call him. Their response was that they could be at my home between 12 and 4; I said, “I’ll take it”. I needed to be up and running and I was going to be home the rest of the day working anyway.
Wouldn’t you know that the Geek Squad technician called me to ask if it was okay if he got there a little bit before 12 noon – ABSOFRICKINGLUTELY!!!! When he arrived he took one look at my router and stated that it was no longer working – he could tell because the lights were blinking like crazy. He has two (2) types in his car for me to choose – the high end one which I ended up selecting can have five (5) devices on it at once; since I already have three (3) devices on simultaneously it made total sense to purchase that one. Within the next 45 minutes all three (3) of my devices were configured and connected to my new router; as well as, my printer. I was back in working order and less than $200 poorer.
I cannot tell you the elation I felt to know that I would be able to respond to emails, surf the net, etc. from my laptops; most importantly, for me that I could work from home. I know that each of you who works from home can empathize with my pain – understand the anguish and the subsequent elation.
It is a sign of the times – to be connected always from anywhere and at any time. It is a sad reflection of the age that we live in and a harsh reality of it.
On the other hand being able to work from home let’s you be flexible with family obligations and to not miss out on certain things. Tomorrow is Halloween; and, although I have no children to take “trick or treating” I always work from home on this day. I live in a community where vans will drive in with 5 to 7 children and they can easily hit 60 houses for candy. I enjoy seeing all the children in their costumes and the little ones trying to climb the stairs to say “trick or treat” and to get their piece of candy.
So being connected gives me the opportunity to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like Halloween. Happy Halloween to each of you.
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